Councilmember Yvette Simpson begins swim lessons next week, as a part of the no-charge I Can Swim project.

"It is important for every one of us to learn to swim. In households where parents can't swim, only 13 percent of the children in that household can swim,” Simpson said.

Children who don't learn early, often turn into adults who also don't know how to swim.

CRC officials want to remind parents they need not only to know how to swim, but also understand the importance of following the guidelines while at the pool.

"It's important to keep your eye on children, because it only takes a few seconds for a child to go under, and it only takes a minute or two after that for that child to drown. So it's important to always keep your eye on children when they're in the water,” Tim Heyl, with Cincy Rec, said.

GET AROUND ON THEIR OWN. DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE PROGRAM. WE ARE ONLY JUST A FEW WEEKS INTO SUMMER AND HAVE ALREADY SEEN A NUMBER OF DROWNINGS AND NEAR DROWNINGS IN OUR AREA ALONE. TONIGHT WLWT'S NEWS KYLA WOODS HAS MUCH MORE ON A LOCAL PROGRAM TO HELP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY STAY SAFE THIS SUMMER AT A PRICE YOU CAN'T RESIST. SUMMERTIME MEANS SWIMMING. AND WITH THAT, ONE WOULD ASSUME IT ALSO MEANS SWIM LESSONS FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM. UNFORTUNATELY THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE. AND THE CINCINNATI RECREATION COMMITTEE AND CITY OFFICIALS ARE HOPING TO CHANGE THAT. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERY ONE OF US TO LEARN TO SWIM. IN-HOUSE HOLDS WHERE PARENTS KRNT SWIM ONLY 13% OF CHILDREN IN THAT HOUSEHOLD CAN SWIM. PARENTS AND KIDS MUST LEARN AND THEY BOTH CAN DO IT FOR FREE. COUNCILMEMBER YVETTE WILSON WILL BEGIN SWIM LESSONS NEXT WEEK. CHILDREN WHO DON'T LEARN EARLY ALSO TURN INTO ADULTS WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM. PARENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES WHILE AT THE POOL. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW SECONDS FOR A CHILD TO GO UNDER AND A MINUTE OR TWO AFTER THAT FOR THAT CHILD TO DROWN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYE ON CHILDREN WHEN THEY'RE IN THE WATER. THE NEXT I CAN SWIM SESSION STARTS NEXT MONDAY AND YOU CAN SIGN UP AT ANY LOCATION -- CRC